Religion prominent at military academies

WASHINGTON, June 25 (UPI) -- Critics say complaints by students at two U.S. service academies are raising questions about the military's commitment not to impose religion on its members.

Nine midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy have asked the American Civil Liberties Union to petition the school to abolish daily prayer at weekday lunches where attendance is mandatory, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

Three recent graduates, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said before they eat they are invited to pray by one of the academy's chaplains. All but one of them are Christian.

At West Point, seven cadets, two Army officers and a former chaplain say that until recently cadets who didn't attend religious services were sometimes referred to as "heathens."

"Nowhere does it say that you have to be a good Christian officer or Jewish officer or Muslim officer: You need to be an officer dedicated to the Constitution of the United States," said Steven Warner, who graduated from West Point last month.